Government plans to potentially consider culling badgers in Staffordshire and Derbyshire have been slammed by wildlife trust bosses.

A cull is being proposed by Natural England, a Government advisor group on issues relating to nature and environment.

The move comes because badgers are thought to sometimes carry bovine tuberculosis (TB), which can be fatal to cattle. However wildlife bosses maintain that vaccinating badgers is the way forward.

The Government has now announced a consultation into badger culling: "Natural England has received applications or expressions of interest for a Badger Disease Control License within the counties of Avon, Berkshire, Derbyshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire.

"Natural England will consider any impacts on livelihoods and daily activities."

A spokesman from Staffordshire Wildlife Trust said it was dismayed to hear that there were proposals to extend licensed badger culling in the county.

"We remain very conscious of the hardship that bovine tuberculosis causes in the farming community and fully support the need to find the right mechanisms to control the disease.

Badger culling could be introduced to Staffordshire and Derbyshire
Badger culling could be introduced to Staffordshire and Derbyshire

"However, we do not believe that a badger cull is the answer. Scientific research funded by the Government has shown that badger culling, unless carried out in line with strict criteria, including the requirement to be across very large areas, could be counterproductive.

"There is currently a consultation underway on the proposals and we will be taking the opportunity to formally submit our comments.

"We will not give permission for a cull to take place on our nature reserves and are currently undertaking a badger vaccination programme on a number of locations across the county."

Tim Birch, from Derbyshire Wildlife Trust added: "We do not believe the shooting of badgers is ever an appropriate way of controlling bovine TB in cattle.

"The findings from the analysis of dead badgers indicates that there is no justification, based on claims that badgers are a source of TB, for a cull in Derbyshire.

"The level of bovine TB in badgers is very low indeed and vaccination of badgers in Derbyshire is the way forward.

"Vaccination is also better than culling even where there is evidence of TB in badgers."

According to Government statistics, a total of 19,274 badgers were culled last autumn, according to the Derby Telegraph .

In order to legally kill badgers, a Badger Disease Control Licence must first be obtained from the Government.

The person must satisfy a number of criteria, including risk mitigation for surrounding wildlife and the consent of the owners of the land the cull will happen in.

Commenting on the issue, shadow environment secretary, Sue Hayman said: "Nearly 20,000 badgers were culled last year, the highest number ever, as part of this ineffective and unscientific badger cull.

"This follows the Government’s recent intention to roll out the cull into areas that are designated as 'low risk', an approach becoming more unjustifiable with each passing month."